INDIAN GAMES. 133 



account iriven 1)}' George Gibbs''^^ the count of the game 

 among the tribes of western Washington and northwest- 

 ern Oregon, was kept by means of sticks. Each side 

 took live or ten small sticks, one of which was passed to 

 the winner on each guess, and the game was ended when 

 the pile of one side was exhausted. According to him, 

 "The backers of the party manipulating keep up a con- 

 stant drumming with sticks on their paddles which lie 

 before them, singingan incantation to attract good fortune." 

 Powers describes another form into which the game devel- 

 oped among the Indians of central California. It is 

 "played with a bit of wood or a pebble which is shaken 

 in the hand, and then the hand closed upon it. The oppo- 

 nent guesses which finger (a thumb is a finger with them) 

 it is under and scores one if he hits, or the other scores 

 if he misses. They keep tally with eight counters. "^^^ 



Schwatka, in his recent exploration of the Yukon found 

 this game among the Chilkats. It was called la-Jtell. Two 

 bones were used. One was the king and one the queen. 

 His packers gambled in guessing at the bones every after- 

 noon and evening after reaching camp.^"° 



The simplicity of the game was modified by the intro- 

 duction of similar articles in each hand, the question to be 

 decided being in which hand one of them having a speci- 

 fied mark should be found. Kanc^^^ thus describes such 

 a game among the Chinooks : "Their games are few. The 

 one most generally played amongst them consists in hold- 

 ing in each hand a small stick, the thickness of a ijfoose 

 quill, and about an inch and one-half in length, one })lain, 

 the other distinguished by a little thread wound round 



'"Contributions to North American EtlmoJoKy, Vol. i, p. 200. 

 '" Contribntions to North American ElhmilnKj', Vol. iii. \i\\. .•?;{2-3. 

 ""Along Al!isk:i'.-i Great lilver. IJy Fiiduiic .Srlnvalka, p. 71. 

 '" Kane's Wandcrln;;s, p. lf'9. 



